CARY, N.C. (May 31, 2016) -- Ethan Westphal tossed seven shutout innings with
Tayler Ross adding two more goose eggs on the board and the Mules pounded out 10 hits in a 6-0 win over No. 2 Franklin Pierce in an elimination game at the NCAA-II World Series on Tuesday afternoon.
Westphal (11-2) scattered five hits, while walking three and striking out four to earn his team-leading 11th win of the season. He kept the Franklin Pierce (48-9) hitters off balance all game long. He pitched out of jams in the sixth and the seventh, when the Ravens had runners at second and third with only one out. He induced a shallow fly out to right field for the second out of the seventh and then struck out Kyle Hood to strand two FPU runners and keep the Ravens off the board.
The Mules (43-14) jumped on top in the second inning when
Bennett Oliver led off with a double, went to third on
Derek Cornell's sacrifice bunt and scored on
Cole Distler's sacrifice fly to center.
The Mules used the same formula for a run in the fourth to make it 2-0. Oliver singled and went to third on Cornell's single up the middle and scored on Distler's sac fly to left center.
Dylan Farrell drew a two-out bases-loaded walk in the seventh to force in a run and give UCM a 3-0 lead.
Franklin Pierce got the leadoff man on in the eighth, but Ross got a flyout and a double play to end the threat and keep it a 3-0 Mule lead.
The Mules broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth, scoring three runs. Distler singled home Cornell to make it 4-0. Following a walk to
Matt Safranek,
Jackson Schnurbusch ripped a double down the left field line to bring home two runs and the Mules led 6-0.
Ross worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure the win and his first save of the season.
Distler finished the day 1-for-2 with three RBI, while Oliver was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored and Cornell went 2-for-3. Oliver also had 10 putouts at first base, giving him 514 for the season, a new single-season UCM program record. With his four strikeouts in the game, Westphal now as 103 on the season tying him with Steve Sharpe for the fourth most in a single-season in program history.
John Amendola (7-2) took the loss for Franklin Pierce after allowing two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings of work. The Ravens used eight pitchers in the game.
With the win, the Mules advance to play Cal Poly Pomona on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET in another elimination game. The game can be heard live on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with
Bob Jackson and
Ricky Rivera on the call. There is also a free webcast available on NCAA.com/liveschedule.
